LS211 Introduction to the Humanities

for F1T 2008

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Vision Statement: Park University will be a renowned international leader in providing innovative educational opportunities for learners within the global society.

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Educational Philosophy: The course is arranged into areas of coverage meant to invigorate your sense of what it means to be human, enliven your inquisitive spirit relative to humanities study, and illuminate the relationships among your life, the world, and patterns replicated among humans. Such rich, interdisciplinary patterns, loosely identified, form the areas of coverage for this course, which you will investigate through class discussions and exploratory writings. You will also work through stages of writing, research, peer response and revision, for a substantial project, which you will share late in the term.

Furthermore, students will emerge from the class with a greater understanding of and appreciation for the humanities. In the interest of "liberat[ing] students from intellectual, social, and cultural parochialism" we will pursue 1) an understanding of your humanness, 2) a sense of the history of human thought and creativity, 3) a perspective of diverse and contrary ideas that have shaped human life and society, and 4) an examined set of primary values that lead to an understanding of what being human means and requires of you.

Through this course of study and through multiple explorations grounded in manifestations of humanness, students will-we imagine-fulfill a substantial and thorough introduction to humanities, which will proliferate ongoing transformations toward becoming "more fully human."

Learning Outcomes:Core Learning Outcomes

Note: This is a general education (GE) course. Therefore, some of the performance objectives are specifically related to the requirements for GE courses.

Students will demonstrate understanding of theories of origin, nature, and function of humanities

Students will provide evidence of skill in academic research

Students will demonstrate their skills in oral communication

Students will demonstrate critical, aesthetic, and values literacies, in regard to humanities

Students will demonstrate a more thoughtful awareness of multicultural and global considerations

Core Assessment:

Class Assessment:

Graded Components and CriteriaWritten Project - A major research essay* exploring a topic (or set of topics) in the Humanities. 1800-2700 words. Assessment of the written project will include developmental stages such as the prospectus and a draft. 30 % (300 pts.)*Note: At the instructor's discretion, the nature of this project and its focus may vary from traditional models of research writing.
Explorations in the Humanities - Brief analysis analytical responses (appr. 500 words) exploring humanities sub-fields. Students will complete two out of five opportunities. 20 % (200 pts.)
Interchanges in the Humanities - Weekly discussions centered on focal areas in the Humanities. 18 % (180 pts.)

Final examination - An examination will be taken in person during the 8th week of instruction at one of the Park University sites around the country or at an alternative location approved by the university where Park University sites are not available. It is the responsibility of the student to arrange for a proctor who will be accepted and approved by the instructor before the end of week six. Guidelines for selecting an acceptable proctor can be found at the Park University web site: http://www.park.edu/online/proctoredform.asp. For proctored examinations, photo identification is required at the time of the test. A proctor request form will be made available to you during the second week of class so that you can submit your formal arrangements for approval.

Grading Conditions: Late Work and Length LimitsLate Work: Work must be submitted on time to be considered for credit. Late installments of the project (prospectus, draft or polished copy) will receive a full grade deduction for each day past the deadline. Therefore, an installment that is due Sunday will not earn passing credit after Wednesday. Late explorations will not be accepted. Interchanges and correlation and review entries must be completed by the end of the week to be considered for credit.

Length Limits: The specific assignment threads will suggest a length range for explorations and the project. The range is established as a reasonable guide for your written work. Any written work that does not meet the general length requirements will receive a penalty proportionate to the portion missing. In other words, if a student submits a project with just 1500 words, the final grade of the project would be reduced by the percentage it fell short of the bottom end of the range, or about 17% (300/1800). On the upward end, a project may exceed the required length at the instructor's discretion; however, you are urged to moderate the scope of your projects with sensitivity the prescribed limits.

Your responses for the Interchanges in the Humanities should be thoughtful and substantive to earn full credit. Examples of desirable, full-bodied responses and undesirable, partial responses will be provided during the first week of the course. Written entries should be thoughtfully developed and no entry should be no less than four sentences in length. Entries can be spontaneous, suggesting, when appropriate, your tentative position on issues; nevertheless, your posts should be carefully read before making them final. Underdeveloped posts will receive partial credit. A detailed assessment rubric for interchanges is available in your eCollege course under "Doc Sharing."

Late Submission of Course Materials:Late Work: Work must be submitted on time to be considered for credit. Late installments of the project (prospectus, draft or polished copy) will receive a full grade deduction for each day past the deadline. Therefore, an installment that is due Sunday will not earn passing credit after Wednesday. Late explorations will not be accepted. Interchanges and correlation and review entries must be completed by the end of the week to be considered for credit.

Academic Honesty:Academic integrity is the foundation of the academic community. Because each student has the primary responsibility for being academically honest, students are advised to read and understand all sections of this policy relating to standards of conduct and academic life. Park University 2008-2009 Undergraduate Catalog Page 87

Plagiarism:Plagiarism involves the use of quotations without quotation marks, the use of quotations without indication of the source, the use of another's idea without acknowledging the source, the submission of a paper, laboratory report, project, or class assignment (any portion of such) prepared by another person, or incorrect paraphrasing. Park University 2008-2009 Undergraduate Catalog Page 87

The instructor may excuse absences for valid reasons, but missed work must be made up within the semester/term of enrollment.

Work missed through unexcused absences must also be made up within the semester/term of enrollment, but unexcused absences may carry further penalties.

In the event of two consecutive weeks of unexcused absences in a semester/term of enrollment, the student will be administratively withdrawn, resulting in a grade of "F".

A "Contract for Incomplete" will not be issued to a student who has unexcused or excessive absences recorded for a course.

Students receiving Military Tuition Assistance or Veterans Administration educational benefits must not exceed three unexcused absences in the semester/term of enrollment. Excessive absences will be reported to the appropriate agency and may result in a monetary penalty to the student.

Report of a "F" grade (attendance or academic) resulting from excessive absence for those students who are receiving financial assistance from agencies not mentioned in item 5 above will be reported to the appropriate agency.

ONLINE NOTE: An attendance report of "P" (present) will be recorded for students who have logged in to the Online classroom at least once during each week of the term. Recording of attendance is not equivalent to participation. Participation grades will be assigned by each instructor according to the criteria in the Grading Policy section of the syllabus.

Disability Guidelines:Park University is committed to meeting the needs of all students that meet the criteria for special assistance. These guidelines are designed to supply directions to students concerning the information necessary to accomplish this goal. It is Park University's policy to comply fully with federal and state law, including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, regarding students with disabilities. In the case of any inconsistency between these guidelines and federal and/or state law, the provisions of the law will apply. Additional information concerning Park University's policies and procedures related to disability can be found on the Park University web page: http://www.park.edu/disability .

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